A one-year-old child was found alone in a running vehicle outside a Horizon Walmart last Thursday, after a store employee spotted the situation and called for help. The toddler was evaluated at the store, and officials say no arrest has been made.
According to KVIA, the incident unfolded at the Walmart near Horizon Boulevard and Darrington Road. A store employee alerted an off-duty Socorro Police Department officer, who then requested assistance from emergency medical personnel along with Horizon City police.
The City of Socorro said the child was checked at the store after being found in the vehicle. Officials have not released the child’s name or explained how long the one-year-old was allegedly left alone.
Investigation Could Lead To Child-Endangerment Charge
The Socorro Police Department has taken the lead on the case, and the city said no one was arrested at the scene. Instead, the case will move forward through a non-arrest process for possible consideration of a charge of abandoning or endangering a child with intent to return, KVIA reported.
Under Texas Penal Code Section 22.041, intentionally leaving a child in circumstances that expose the child to an unreasonable risk of harm can be an offense. When the person intends to return for the child, the statute classifies the offense as a state jail felony, though no charge has been filed in this case.
